Paradise
by dylanpidge
Summary: An all-expense paid trip to a tropical island? Count Hogwarts eighth year in! But Draco has more planned for Harry than just a simple vacation. This is the story of Draco wooing Harry in paradise.
1. Chapter 1: Monday

**Monday**

"Rule number one, under NO circumstances will any of you act in a manner unbecoming of a Hogwarts student. This trip is a privilege and you should treat it like one. Rule number two, do not forget to apply a sun protection charm…"

Harry couldn't help but tune out McGonagall's voice. Years of experience had taught him how to act engaged even if his mind was elsewhere. And they sure were elsewhere; it was a tropical paradise after all! As a treat to the eighth years, the faculty of Hogwarts had organized a week-long vacation to celebrate the group's help during the war as well as lending a hand in reconstructing Hogwarts. The large group of teens, led by McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey (a Mediwizard had been hired to watch over the infirmary back at the castle), were promptly transported by a special portkey to the unplottable island where they would be staying. The only thing known about the location was that it was close to the equator, which wasn't evident from the pleasant warmness of the air. The students were confused as to why it wasn't hotter there. Hermione answered everyone's question with the simple explanation that the island's patrons controlled the air temperature.

 _Magic is bloody fantastic,_ Harry thought with a growing smile. He looked around at his fellow Eighth years. It seemed everyone decided to take the trip. Of course Hermione, Ron, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, and all the rest who came back from other houses—but what was surprising to Harry was a group standing a bit apart from the crowd. It was Greengrass, Parkinson, Zabini, and… Malfoy.

Harry shifted his weight between his feet in agitation when he thought about Malfoy. He had so many conflicting feelings about the other boy that he didn't know where to start. On the one hand, he and Malfoy had a rivalry that lasted for six years. On the other hand, Malfoy was the main contributor to the Hogwarts Battle Relief Effort—and he hadn't said one word to Harry throughout all of eighth Year. Truthfully, Harry was a bit peeved to be ignored so thoroughly, but he couldn't help but still find himself curious about Malfoy. What was the other boy thinking of this moment? Does he think about Harry as much as Harry thinks of him? Of course, Malfoy didn't answer. The blonde-haired boy was too busy looking out over the slowly setting sun in the distance. He was wearing a silver button up shirt with a pair of dark blue shorts. On top of his head rested a pair of no doubt very expensive sunglasses. Overall he looked very...put together in Harry's eyes.

As if sensing his gaze, Malfoy's grey eyes abruptly met Harry's green ones. Harry flushed at Malfoy's narrowed and searching look. Seeming to find what he was looking for, he smirked and turned his attention back to the ocean. Feeling embarrassment flush his body down to his toes, Harry decided to turn his attention back to McGonagall's speech in an attempt to ignore his supposed arch-nemesis.

"From the thorough description I just gave, any one of you should be easily able to identify the mind-altering plant if you come across from it and then place yourself _far away from it_. I will only repeat this once, the local population calls it a," she paused and gave a small smirk that Harry had never seen on her face, "kick to the balls," if you translate it to English."

Her face cooled and she gave a stern look to any student that snickered at the statement, as if she hadn't just shown any outward expression of amusement. Harry gulped. _I guess I should have been paying attention,_ he thought. McGonagall resumed her speech, folding her arms primly in front of her summer robes, which were made out of a very breathable green material.

"I will now read out the room assignments. Trading rooms are strictly prohibited. You all fought a war together, so you should be able to handle a few nights with anyone here. Room one, Hermione Granger and Susan Bones…"

Harry tuned McGonagall out once more, only perking up when his name was mentioned.

"Room Five, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Room Six…"

Harry boggled at the stern witch as she unheedingly went down the rest of the list. Harry turned and met Malfoy's cool gaze that was already trained on him. Slowly, the grey-eyed boy smiled in the creepiest way imaginable, in Harry's opinion. Dear Merlin, what was he in for this week? Malfoy beckoned him over with a tilt of the head but before Harry could even think about going to the other boy, Hermione smacked him on the arm. _Hard._

Harry yelped in pain before turning to Hermione and rubbed his arm. "What was that for?" Harry asked indignantly.

" _Pay. Attention._ " Hermione forced out in a harsh whisper through gritted teeth. Sullenly, Harry turned his attention to McGonagall once again. Now she was going on about the proper swimwear attire for witches and wizards. Harry privately wondered if McGonagall had ever seen a muggle bikini and snickered at the thought. Hermione smacked his arm again without even glancing at him.

" _Ow!_ " Harry responded with a forceful whisper. Her hand had hit the same spot as before and he rubbed it gingerly. Still not glancing at her friend, she gave a little smirk. Harry sometimes wished he had nicer friends.

A wave of exhaustion swept over Harry's amusement and looking around, Harry could see a lot of people started to yawn. McGonagall had warned them all about this before they touched the whisk that was their long-distance portkey. Intercontinental portkeys required some magic from the users to make the trip over in one piece. Smart planning from the headmistress made extra time to account for the portkey lag that mimicked jet lag, and so the eight years arrived later in the evening. Their real vacation started the next day, on Tuesday—after a long night of sleep to allow their bodies to recuperate. Harry joined many of the others in a wide yawn, one so large for Harry that tears sprung in his eyes. Sensing she was losing the attention of the crowd of students, McGonagall cleared her throat loudly before continuing on.

"We will now make our way over to dinner, and then it's off to bed with all of you. Pomfrey's orders."

Pomfrey nodded her head along with McGonagall's speech and then stepped forward once she was done. Seeing the tiredness in all their expressions, she stated, "If any of you feel like you are on the verge of collapsing, please come see me in the main building where the Headmistress and I are staying. You all will be in separate cabins along the water."

At this declaration, McGonagall pointed down to the water where there was a line of small cabins floating on top of the water. It was a spectacular view, with the sun closing in on the glittering water and the cabins floating, Harry felt like he was in a fairy tale. Unbiddenly, an image came to mind of Draco as his prince charming and himself wearing...a pink princess dress.

Shaking away the terrifying image with a shudder, Harry followed after Hermione and Ron as they made their way down to the beach to have dinner. When they finally made it onto the beach, Harry took off his sandals to feel the soft grains of sand under his feet. He absolutely loved the beach. The Dursleys were forced to take him with them a few times when he was a kid when Ms. Figg was too busy to babysit in the summer. He could play on the other side of the beach and the Dursley's wouldn't care, and then he could play without worrying about Dudley. The sun, the waves, the sand between his toes—Harry loved it all. A bright smile was brought to Harry's face at all the fun he was going to have on this trip.

* * *

Dinner was delicious, Harry's favorite dish being the whole roasted pig, complete with an apple in its mouth. Hermione was already planning out the week's full itinerary in a binder she had brought. Before she could even get into her plans, she had to spend ten minutes explaining what a binder was to Ron. Harry warned Hermione during dinner that he wasn't going on every excursion she had planned. He wanted to relax, to _go with the flow_ —to use a muggle expression.

Finally, it was time to go to sleep. Harry slowly made his way to the fifth cabin in the lineup, forgetting who he was going to be sharing a cabin with. Malfoy was already waiting in the room and had seemed to claim the bed on the right, judging by his things neatly placed beside it. The room was fairly spartan, with an open floor plan that made it seem larger than what it was. Behind the beds was a perfect window view of where the sun had recently set below the horizon, showing the sparkling water. The sun's final rays were reflected off of it, making it look like stained glass. Quickly remembering that Malfoy was in the room, Harry brought his eyes back to the other teen sitting on the bed. Malfoy stared right back but didn't utter a word.

Deciding to be the one to break the ice first, Harry opened his mouth, "Malfoy—"

"Draco."

Harry stopped in the middle of his next word, bewildered.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Malfoy—or was it Draco now? He started to fidget the bottom of his shirt, in a very _un_ -Malfoy like manner. _Maybe he's...nervous? Is that even possible?_ Harry thought with astonishment.

"Call me Draco," Malfo—Draco said in a small voice. Harry swallowed. Was he in some kind of alternate dimension?

"Alright, Draco," the name felt foreign on Harry's tongue, "only if you call me Harry."

Draco quirked up his mouth into a smile at the ending statement. Then it dropped as suddenly as it came and Draco glanced down at his lap once again. Harry waited patiently, sensing that Draco had something important to say. Finally, Draco met his gaze again.

"I don't know if you knew this, but I'm the one that paid for this trip. You might be asking yourself why in Merlin's beard would I ever pay for other people's vacations."

That's exactly what Harry had been asking himself, but he was also wondering where this was leading.

"I paid for this trip for you, Harry. You definitely are too obtuse to realize it, but I admire you. A lot," Draco's ears pinked at the declaration, "and I planned on never telling you. I ignored you most of this year because of my little crush."

Harry choked a bit when the word 'crush' came out of Draco's mouth.

"That was my plan, at least," Draco continued, "until Mother butted in. She told me I was an idiot for not even having the courage to confess. I knew she was right, even though I won't admit it to her. I know you might still hate me, but I wanted the chance to show you who else I really am, and not just a childhood rival. What do you say, Harry? Will you give me a chance?"

Before Harry could choke out a sound, Draco waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about answering me now, sleep on it. I'll give you a day. I paid for a week on purpose, so we can really give this a chance if you say yes."

If Harry was speechless before, now he couldn't even think of any words to say. Never in a million years did he think Draco was ignoring him because he was into him. How crazy was that? Harry still couldn't wrap his head around it. But in his gut, a small fluttering of hope came forward. He shook his head violently before clearing his throat.

"I think sleeping on it would be best."

After that parting statement, Harry turned around and made his way over to his designated bed. Shucking off his shirt, Harry immediately surrendered himself to the throes of deep sleep.

* * *

The only sounds were the occasional clinking of glasses and sips of amber liquid. It was after midnight, and both Minerva and Poppy were enjoying a nightcap before bed. The day had been a bit strenuous on the both of them and they were almost ready to head off to sleep themselves.

"I have to ask," Poppy mused, breaking the silence, "why in the world would you put Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy together?"

Minerva was silent for a moment, quietly sipping her glass of scotch. Finally, she spoke up, "As you know, Mr. Malfoy is the sole reason this trip is even possible. And I'm very thankful for that—so when he asked for Harry to be assigned as his roommate, I couldn't deny him that simple request."

At first, Poppy didn't seem to realize what Minerva had said, choosing to take another sip of scotch. She soon regained her senses and spit out the liquid in her mouth abruptly. A quick spell cleaned up the spill, but Poppy was still rattled.

She took a large gulp of her drink, eyes wide with muted intrigue. "Harry and Draco. Draco and Harry. I don't know if I see it."

Minerva only chuckled, "Trust me, dear, you'll come around."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey everyone! New chaptered story coming your way. I want to thank Gammily for being my lovely beta. I have lots of activities planned for my two boys! I might change the rating in the future depending on where the story goes. Review if you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2: Tuesday

**Tuesday**

Harry awoke slowly to a stray ray of light shining warmly onto his face. Breathing in deeply, Harry could smell the salty ocean air that was right under them. Them. That's right, Draco was there with him. The night before came rushing back into Harry's head and he abruptly sat up, propping himself up in bed with both arms. Turning to his head to the left, he saw Draco sleeping soundly, not at all disturbed by the light streaming in through the entire wall-sized window. He looked to be in a deep sleep, curled into his pillow and a hair askew. Harry was envious that he wasn't fast asleep as well.

Laid in an elegant sprawl, Draco reminded Harry of a fallen angel. His pale skin stood out against the yellow floral comforter. He looked almost otherworldly under Harry's green gaze. The sunlight caught onto his hair, making the platinum blonde seem like it was glowing. If Harry didn't already know that magic existed, he would have believed it just looking at his roommate. Harry huffed out a long breath of air, running his fingers through the tangled mess of curls that sat on his head

Most decidedly _not_ wanting to be present once Draco woke up, Harry made his way over to his packed bag and pulled out a pair of light brown shorts with a green polo. Hermione had dragged him and Ron shopping to buy new vacation clothing after the trip was announced. The dark green shirt he pulled on really 'complimented his eyes,' in Hermione's opinion. Slipping on his new sandals, Harry finally made his way down the wooden steps connected to the floating castle and on his way to the beach.

He started walking along the path to the main building when he passed a pavilion where people were eating breakfast. Fronds decorated the roof and there were tables edged with seashells. Sitting cheerfully at the horseshoe table set up were Neville, Zabini, Hannah, McGonagall, and Pomfrey. As soon as Neville saw him, he waved him over to the open seat on his left with a broad smile on his face. The others seemed to have only recently gotten here, judging by their full plates. Already, everyone looked more relaxed than they had since fourth year.

Neville greeted him enthusiastically, "Harry, mate, how are you enjoying the vacation so far? The plant life here is spectacular!" His eyes sparkled with joy and he seemed giddy with excitement.

Harry gave a laugh at that, mood already lightening. He felt the stress from his body as he leaned back in his chair. Neville always had a way of lessening the tension on Harry's shoulders.

"I'm excited about the food, I can tell you that," Harry said with a smile as he piled a plate high with the bacon and eggs in front of him. Reaching over to grab the orange juice, Harry cast a quick tempus using his free hand. 10:00 am. That was pretty late in the morning for the only small amount of students present at breakfast, even if they were on vacation. Hermione would have wanted to start her day bright and early, but she was nowhere to be found.

Harry voiced his curiosity to the table and was met with intrigued looks from the teens and knowing glances from McGonagall and Pomfrey. "Yeah, I was actually wondering about that, too. She was always one of the first people down in the Great Hall. Do you think she got sick from the portkey?" Hannah wondered.

Madame Pomfrey was the one who finally spoke up, gently placing her fork onto her plate when she began, "Very astute, Ms. Abbott. You're right. You all, including the Headmistress and I, experienced magical exhaustion from the intercontinental portkey we took yesterday. Some of your magical reserves happen to refill faster than other students. I expect some students, perhaps even Ms. Granger, to sleep as late as noon."

 _Let's hope Draco's included in the ones that sleep in later_ , Harry thought with sheer desperation. He wasn't ready to give Draco an answer yet. He needed to talk to Ron and Hermione on the matter, and he still hasn't had any real time to come to terms with what Draco revealed to him last night. Hopefully a day spent by the water will help clear his head.

People started to trickle in just as Harry began to dig into his meal.

Breakfast was just as delicious as the dinner they had the night before Harry was happy for what he hoped would be a recurring trend for the rest of the week. One aspect of the meal that Harry decidedly did not enjoy was Zabini's eyes on him the entire time. The Slytherin must have had some idea of the real reason behind this whole vacation. Harry wondered just how much of Draco's interest Zabini knew about. Maybe he could confront the other boy after breakfast to discern Draco's real intentions. The remaining Hogwarts students slowly trickled in one after the other. Hermione, hair wet from a recent shower. Ron, hair not wet from a shower. And, a moment later, Draco. Looking as glorious as ever.

Great.

Breakfast, it turned out, was the worst place to try and talk to Hermione and Ron. Harry would have to wait even longer to speak with them. Sitting down to Harry's left, Hermione settled in with a puzzled look on her face as she looked at Harry.

"Really, Harry, we're on vacation and you just looked like McGonagall announced we have a test tomorrow." Harry's brain shorted out at the idea of a test. Luckily, he had Hermione to smack his arm out of it. Really, it was getting out of hand. Vowing to try and sit with Ron in between them next time, Ron chimed in, words slightly muffled by a slice of toast.

"Cheer up, mate." Of course his face was already stuffed with food two minutes after sitting down. Harry and Hermione gave each other amused smiles but they understood what Ron had said even with a mouth full of bread. Years of practice had already made them fluent in Ron's food-speak.

Harry only sighed in response, slumping back into the chair.

"A bombshell got dropped on me last night. I'll tell you guys about it later when there aren't so many prying eyes," Harry glanced at Neville who stared back at him, completely unashamed as he ate his bacon. "Meet me on the beach when you're done eating. I'm going for a walk."

Before Hermione or Ron could voice their protests, Harry was walking out the door. Looking back, Harry met Draco's piercing silver gaze—his eyes shining with a mixture of the sunlight and something akin to hope.

* * *

Stepping out from under the pavilion, Harry made his way further down the beach. He wanted to get closer to the sparkling clear water he had seen when he looked out the window that morning. There was only one thing on his mind—Draco's confession the night before. Thinking about it, Harry knew this all had to be some kind of fever dream. The craziest part was—when Draco first asked if he would be open to seeing him, Harry wanted to say yes right away. That's what scared Harry the most.

He idly kicked some shells that were in front of him, startling when he suddenly saw a shadow behind him. Whipping around with his wand out, Harry came face to face with Blaise Zabini.

"Zabini," Harry greeted cautiously. He lowered his wand, embarrassed. Zabini waved it off. The war had left its mark on everyone in some form or another.

The other boy was dressed in a burnt orange tank top that stood out nicely against his dark skin along with a pair of black shorts. Zabini said nothing. He had his arms crossed in front of him and was studying Harry like a particularly interesting potions ingredient. His dark brown eyes bored into Harry as if he was trying to see his soul and determine if he was worthy. Of what, Harry could only guess. After another minute he just shook his head.

"Personally, I don't get what he sees in you. But since my best friend has some semblance of taste, I can't argue with him. Call me Blaise."

Harry blinked once before deciding to roll with the situation in front of him. After all, his motto for this vacation was go with the flow. Now he simply had to follow it. Blaise was still looking at him, eyebrows raised as if he was an idiot. Then, Harry realized he was supposed to respond.

Harry cleared his throat. "Yes, right. Then call me Harry."

Crossing his own arms, Harry squared his shoulders before speaking, "Now that we're on a first name basis, do you mind telling me what Draco's whole plan is? Seriously, this whole trip? All for me?"

Blaise only chuckled in response. A weak glare from Harry prompted him to answer honestly.

"Draco has never been subtle about letting everyone know when he truly wants something. He grew up getting everything he wanted, so why should this be any different? That's why he's so confident about knowing what he wants. Sometimes, what he wants is a certain Gryffindor. Merlin, we call him a Gryffindor sometimes with the amount of stupidly reckless things he gets himself into whenever he sees something he wants. Daphne has gotten him riled up on more than one occasion calling him one.

Harry tapped his foot impatiently in the sand, causing Blaise to roll his eyes.

"I'll get to the point. Draco is entirely sincere with his intentions, I can promise you that. You should give him a chance, Harry."

Blaise was looking at Harry with earnest eyes, imploring him to listen. Harry waited for him to continue. After a moment, Blaise spoke again.

"There's so much to Draco that you have never seen hiding away in Gryffindor Tower. And the same goes for him. He wants to get to know you when you aren't wearing your school colors with the rivalry getting in the way of things. I just want Draco to be happy, and I can only hope you have the ability to do so."

Harry sputtered a bit, "You—you're just assuming that I'm dying to say yes! Well, that might not be the case."

Blaise just gave him an unimpressed look.

Harry sputtered some more.

Blaise continued to stare.

Harry finally sagged in defeat, "Okay, so I might be the _slightest_ bit curious about Draco's offer, and I might find him interesting and cute and think that his eyes-" Harry stopped himself before he revealed all of his thoughts. He distinctly ignored Blaise's growing smirk as he cleared his throat and continued "—but that doesn't automatically mean—"

"Harry!"

A loud yell interrupted said-boy's tirade. Turning to greet the voice, Harry saw Hermione waving over to him, Ron a few feet behind with a wide grin on his face and his hands in his pockets. Looking back at Blaise, the dark-skinned boy only inclined his head before starting to walk in the opposite direction of the incoming couple. Blaise turned back to Harry one last time, speaking over his shoulder to the green-eyed boy.

"I hope you make the right choice, Harry. For all of us."

With that, he was hidden among the palm trees, almost as if he was never there to begin with. Hermione stopped walking once she reached him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but was that Blaise Zabini? Since when do you consort with the big bad Slytherins?" Hermione's tone took on a teasing quality as she poked Harry's arm playfully.

"Since one of them sort of confessed their everlasting love to me last night." Harry looked to the ocean, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment as it turned red.

Hermione and Ron looked to one another in utter bewilderment before looking back at Harry with equally stunned expressions.

"What?" they asked in unison.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and then plopped down into the sand. The other two members of the Golden Trio followed suit, ready for an explanation. So, Harry told them the whole story from the moment he set foot in his cabin the night before to the moment that they met up him on the beach. The due moved around in the sand as Harry explained. Soon, they were pacing back and forth along the shore. By the time Harry was done talking, it was almost midday. The retelling had taken longer due to Hermione interrupting during Harry's monologue and asking questions ("What was he wearing? Was he sitting or standing? What was his body language like?"). Ron seemed to still be stunned silent by the fact that it was _Draco_ who was the one confessing.

Soon all three came to a stop when they were back where they started. Hermione transfigured three shells into beach chairs and sat down in one with Harry taking another.

Ron stayed standing, a hand on his stomach, "I'm hungry, guys. Let me grab us some lunch from the pavilion. Harry, whatever Hermione says, I agree with her."

Hermione leaned over to smack her boyfriend's leg but Ron danced out of the way before her strike could make contact. _Lucky him_ , Harry thought as he unconsciously rubbed his still sore arm. As soon as Ron turned to walk away, Hermione pounced on her next victim: him.

"Okay, Harry. You've told me everything that's happened."

"In extreme detail," Harry muttered petulantly.

Hermione ignored him and forged on, "How are you feeling about what Draco and Blaise said?"

Harry only looked out into the ocean for a moment, enjoying the view of glistening blue waves. If Harry squinted, he was sure that he could see fish in the clear water. Or maybe it was seaweed? Colorful, magical seaweed? Harry shook off his thoughts and answered Hermione's question.

"I don't doubt Draco's sincerity, but I'm a little overwhelmed right now and I don't know where to go from here."

Harry drew up his knees to his chest as he frowned in concentration. Hermione pats him on the back consolingly. At that moment Ron came back floating a mountain of fruit and sandwiches behind him. Harry conjured a table for the food and the three dug in right away. They ate mostly in silence, the only comments coming from Hermione outlining her and Ron's plan for the rest of the day. Towards the end of the meal, Hermione finally spoke up again.

"I know you said you don't know what you want to do but I don't think that's true. You probably had a gut reaction for what to go with, didn't you, Harry?"

Merlin, Harry hated how well she knew him sometimes.

"I trust you, Harry. More importantly, right now, I trust your gut. What's your gut telling you?"

Harry mumbled something out.

Hermione gave him a knowing smile, "What was that, Harry?"

He sighed. "My gut's saying 'go for it.'"

Ron looked up from his fourth sandwich and smiled, "There you go, mate. Now go get that ass!"

"Ronald! Don't be so crass." Hermione sent him a scandalous look but Ron just laughed and sent Harry a fist bump (something Harry had recently taught him) which Harry returned with a chuckle.

Hermione let out a huff, "Boys, honestly."

* * *

The decision was made; now Harry just had to act on it. Easier said than done. Ron and Hermione had left shortly after lunch to check out the local island museums, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. For a long time, he just stayed sitting on that same transfigured chair, watching the waves slowly crawl up the shoreline as the tide moved in. After a while Harry began to feel restless doing nothing, so he started making his way slowly back to his cabin on the water. It was closing in on the end of dinner now but Harry wasn't hungry at all.

Soon he would have to respond to Draco's confession. _He's probably waiting for me at the cabin right now, ready for my answer,_ Harry thought with horror. His steps slowed down even more. He was trying to put off arriving by as long as possible.

By the time he reached his and Draco's cabin, the sun had set behind the horizon and the sky was painted with dark purples and blues. Each step up to the door filled Harry with more anticipation and nervousness.

This was it.

Harry pushed open the wooden door, coming face to face with… nothing.

Oh.

It seemed like Draco wasn't waiting for him to come back. Harry sagged with relief. He wasn't ready to face Draco quite yet. He would prepare himself now, so when Draco came through the door, Harry could finally take a leap of faith.

Laying down on his bed, Harry started mentally preparing himself for Draco's impending arrival. But with the sheer amount of walking and worrying Harry completed that day, he couldn't help his eyes from slowly drifting shut.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey everyone! Back with another chapter. There will be seven in all, one for everyday they're on vacation. Rating may go up in the future. Thank you Gammily for beta'ing this chapter for me, you are the best! If you like this story please leave a like and review :)


	3. Chapter 3: Wednesday

**Wednesday**

Harry woke up to loud laughter coming from outside the cabin door. It didn't overpower the rest of the sounds of the resort. He could hear the crashing of waves hitting the shore, the seagulls cawing overhead, and the soft breeze rustling the leaves of nearby trees. Harry groaned before sitting up in bed. Blindly reaching for his wand, he grabbed it before casting tempus. 9:05 am. Looking over to Draco's side of the room, Harry found the other boy's bed made with a note on it. Making his way over on unsteady feet, Harry read the neat cursive writing on the small scrap of parchment.

 _Harry,_

 _If you would be willing to join me, I will have breakfast set up at a location where we can talk privately. If you are not against attending, I will expect you by 9:30. I hope to see you soon._

 _Draco_

Harry couldn't help the smile that bloomed on his face at the note, or the rising blush. Remembering the time, Harry dressed into another green polo—this one in a lighter shade. Was green the only color clothing Hermione bought him? Merlin, people were going to think he was bonkers—dressing up in Slytherin colors for the whole vacation. This polo had palm tree silhouettes lining the bottom edge of the shirt. Glancing down at himself, he decided that he officially looked like a real vacationer, with the tropical-themed shirt and brown leather sandals.

Stepping out into the beating sunlight, Harry pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on. Pulling his wand of its holster, Harry cast _Point Me_ for Draco and was led in the opposite direction of the dining pavilion. The cabins were lined up that number one was closest to the main building, with the rest of the numbers stretching down the coast from there. There were at least 30 cabins, but Harry hadn't seen any other vacationers all of yesterday or Monday. Even now, there was no one else on the beach except for a few resort workers.

Hoping to not run into any other students on his way to Draco, Harry sped up a bit, passing cabin after cabin. Running on sand, he found, was much more difficult than running on solid ground. A strain formed in his calves as he made his way down the beach, sand starting to get inside his sandals.

"Where're you running off to so quickly this morning.?"

Harry spun around halfway, in time to see Neville walking out of the cabin in front of him and closing the door. Neville looked at Harry, and at his wand floating in the air in front of him, a sure sign of a _Point Me_ spell. Neville's brows raised then he looked back to Harry and gave him a questioning look. Harry searched futilely for some kind of excuse. The sand in his shoes was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Surfing," Harry blurted out suddenly, "I'm going to take surfing lessons."

Neville just looked at him, extremely unimpressed.

"Does it have something to do with Draco Malfoy?"

Harry sputtered. _What do I say? Think!_ Harry desperately tried to come up with another excuse. Instead, he gave a high-pitched laugh that was tinged with nervousness.

"Draco? Why would I be meeting up with Draco? You're the one who's acting weird! I don't have to explain myself to you!" Harry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he spoke.

 _Smooth, Harry,_ he thought to himself and mentally cringed.

Neville only crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow in response.

"So if I pull out my wand right and say _Point Me Draco Malfoy_ , that it _won't_ go pointing in the same direction as your wand?"

Harry gave a small, tight nod.

Neville pulled out his wand and said, "Okay, if you're sure. _Point Me D—_ "

"Wait!"

Neville smirked in victory. Harry only shook his head.

"Okay fine, you caught me. I'm meeting Draco for a private breakfast. But don't say anything to anyone! It isn't even officially a date yet."

Now it was Neville's turn to shake his head as he tutted, "Oh, Harry. A private breakfast? Just the two of you? What else could it possibly be? He planned this whole vacation just for you, after all."

Harry looked at the other boy in shock.

"How do you know about that?"

Neville shrugged easily.

"I like to gossip with Minerva and Poppy. Minnie told me."

 _Minnie?_ Mouthed Harry, befuddled. Shaking away his growing confusion with the situation, Harry addressed Neville again.

"We'll pick this up later, Neville. As it is, I'm running late."

Neville gave him a small grin, "Don't want to keep your man waiting, now would you?"

Harry only gave him the finger over his shoulder in a parting response.

Neville watched him go with a laugh. Merlin, he had a lot to tell Minnie and Poppy later that night.

* * *

Harry finally arrived at his destination, a restaurant in the nearby town—and a high-end restaurant, by the looks of it. The exterior was a unique architecture design that Harry was sure had a particular name in some other language. Italian, maybe? French? Harry didn't know. Harry was about to step inside before he decided to take off his shoes and shake the rest of the sand out in a last bid attempt to get rid of it and look somewhat presentable. He stepped inside and was greeted by an empty restaurant, save for one table in the middle of the room where Draco was seated. He was fiddling with the carefully folded cloth napkin from the table.

 _A nervous move?_ Harry thought.

Harry was also immensely confused as to why there was no one else in this obviously high-end establishment. Had Draco rented out the whole restaurant? Once Draco finally saw him he stood up abruptly, knocking into the table a bit. He looked down at the lopsided swan napkin on his plate and nervously fixed it up. He walked over and smiled warmly at Harry as he pulled out his chair.

"Harry, I'm glad you decided to come. How has the trip been for you so far?"

Harry took the seat and allowed Draco to push him in. He waited for Draco to sit back down across from him before answering.

"It's been brilliant! This place is absolutely beautiful. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves."

Draco gave a small smile at that. Before he could say anything more, Harry cut in with another question he had been dying to ask.

"I was wondering, Draco, if you rented it out this whole restaurant? You didn't have to do that. It must have been expensive…"

Harry trailed off at the peculiar look on Draco's face, looking like he just heard an inside joke and couldn't wait to share it.

"Well, actually, I rented out the whole island. The only people here are the locals and the resort staff."

Harry was shocked. The whole bloody island? What was Draco thinking? How much did that cost? Did he do this all for… _him?_ Draco took one look at Harry's face and answered some of his unasked questions.

"Since dear old father was sent off the Azkaban, my mother than I have much more money than we know what to do with. My future husband," he gave Harry a quick look as his cheeks pinked, "my future kids, and even my future grandchildren won't have to work a single day in their life if they chose not to. This trip barely puts a dent in the family fortune. I'm very rich, Harry."

Draco winked at this, causing Harry to roll his eyes in response.

He continued, "And don't think I rented out the island just for you. I did it for me as well as the rest of the eighth years. We would never have felt fully relaxed on this vacation if we became just another tourist attraction because of the Battle."

Affection swelled within Harry's chest as he took in Draco's response. It grew strong enough to make him burst out, "Yes."

Draco only looked at him in bemusement.

"What?"

Harry hadn't meant to blurt that out so suddenly. He flushed before continuing.

"I accept your offer. I want to date you, too."

Harry felt he might faint from the amount of blood rushing to his cheeks, which only doubled at the look Draco was giving him. It was so full of hope and happiness Harry never wanted to look away.

Draco looked radiant.

They stared at each other a moment longer, both blushing brightly, until the waiter came by to fill their glasses. They broke eye contact at his entrance and Harry looked down at his plate in embarrassment. He wasn't the best at expressing himself, but being with Draco made him want to try. The waiter was listing off the specials but Harry could barely pay attention, his eyes continuously being drawn back to Draco. Harry had never really taken the chance to admire the boy but he was surprised at how much he enjoyed just watching him.

 _Creep,_ Harry thought to himself.

The waiter left just as Draco caught Harry staring. The blond-haired boy smiled.

"I'm really happy you agreed, Harry. I'm not just the Slytherin you knew through Hogwarts."

"I know," Harry cut in quickly, "You wouldn't have put this trip together if you were just a quintessential Slytherin."

Draco gave him a look.

"Not that Slytherins are bad!" Harry backtracked, "Just, I can't imagine anyone else from the house being so generous to a Gryffindor."

 _I'm making this worse, aren't I?_ Harry thought miserably.

Thankfully, Draco only chuckled in response.

"I suppose you're right on some level. No other Slytherin would be so...outgoing with their advances like I have. I couldn't help myself, I suppose."

Harry was sure that he had never blushed this much in one sitting, but he'd also never been complimented this much. The waiter stopped by to take their orders. Seeing how lost Harry looked at the menu with so much French on it, Draco thankfully ordered for both of them. As they waited for their food to come out, they simply... talked. About anything and everything. From their favorite class at Hogwarts to their least favorite wizarding fashion. And Harry loved every minute of it.e couldn't get enough of hearing Draco speak. He had a deep tenor voice, one that could lull Harry into a sense of ease with just a few words.

Then, the topic of the future came up.

"What do you plan on doing after Hogwarts, Draco?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco stiffened momentarily before relaxing. If Harry hadn't just fought in a war, or if he wasn't so in tune with Draco's body language that day, he probably would have missed it.

"I'm not sure yet. Probably something in the Ministry. I feel like I need to do something instead of just buying myself an island and hiding away for the rest of my life."

Knowing he had hit a sore point, Harry steered the conversation away to safer topics, like favorite teachers.

 _Stupid,_ he thought. _You, Harry, are a bloody idiot._

The food came shortly after that, which Harry was very thankful for. Draco had gotten him some type of sweet pastry with nuts that was utterly delicious. After they finished their food, they spoke again for a good while before Harry started fidgeting. Draco noticed right away, of course, judging by his brow furrowing in question.

"I have no idea what I want to do after school," Harry blurted out, "and I don't think you need to have everything figured out right away either."

Draco was giving him an assessing look now, and Harry felt like he was being put under a microscope that he had used when he went to primary school in Little Whinging. Then, Draco gave him a small smile that was filled with hidden appreciation. Harry blushed beet red once again.

"Will you come with me to dinner and something called a mover?" Draco asked suddenly, getting mixed up at the last word.

"A mover?" Harry asked, confused.

"Yes, a talking picture, but longer. It's a muggle thing, isn't it?" Harry realized that Draco's knowledge of muggle technology was lacking and he gave a few chuckles.

"Oh! A movie!" Harry suddenly got excited. "They have those here?"

Draco nodded, thankful that Harry didn't tease him about his mispronunciation of the word. "The locals here are obsessed with muggle technology and have managed to integrate it into their everyday lives."

 _Arthur would love it here,_ was Harry's immediate thought. His second thought was that Draco was adorable, and there was no way he was going to say no.

"Of course I'll go to dinner and see a movie with you. It sounds like a great time."

Feeling bold, Harry reached out and took Draco's hand across the table. Draco's eyes widened before a small grin broke out onto his face. They smiled at each other, both hoping the moment would never end.

Life was good.

* * *

By the time Harry parted ways with Draco, it was closing in on noon. Feeling like he was walking on air, Harry made his way back to his cabin and plopped down on the bed. Harry drifted off for a quick nap as soon as he closed his eyes.

He woke up to his stomach rumbling softly. A quick _tempus_ told him it was approaching 1:30 pm. It had been quite a few hours since Harry had last eaten, besides the fact that he didn't get much eating in with the amount of talking he and Draco did. Unfortunately, it was catching up with him. Getting up and stretching a bit, Harry put on his sandals, thankfully sand-free, and headed for the lunch pavilion.

He waved at Draco who was sitting at the far end of the horseshoe table with the other Slytherins. Draco gave a small wave back before turning back to his conversation with Pansy. The girl, noticing where Draco's attention strayed, sent Harry a searching glance—one that promised a discussion in the future.

 _Merlin, am I looking forward to it,_ Harry thought sarcastically.

Sitting on the opposite side of the room were Hermione and Ron. As soon as Hermione saw him, she started waving him over with a hand. Harry nodded to McGonagall and the rest of the eighth years that were present as he sat down on Hermione's left.

"Harry! How was breakfast with Draco? Tell us everything!"

Harry rubbed a hand behind his head, unsure where to start.

Finally, he began, "It went very well. We mostly just talked for a few hours. We have another date scheduled for tomorrow night. Dinner and a movie."

Hermione nodded along in rapt attention. Ron was only half listening, the rest of his attention on his plate.

"While we were in town today I noticed a lot of muggle technology. I didn't know they had a movie theatre, though. Ron, we should go while we're here!"

Ron tipped his head in acknowledgment, surprisingly finishing his bite of food before speaking.

"So, mate, did you seal the deal or not?"

He leaned over and made a kissy face at Harry. Harry pushed him away towards Hermione with a laugh before he got Ron-slobber on his face.

"Ronald!" Hermione kept him away with her forearm before giving in and kissing him. Harry usually would have blushed at his friends' show of affection, but he was all blushed out from his morning with Draco. They broke apart with a laugh when Harry groaned.

"Next time, don't be so rude. Harry and Draco can go whatever pace they want."

Harry laughed, "Yeah, Ron. Keep it in your pants."

Hermione rolled her eyes at his crass language. Harry noticed that she didn't blush at everything that her crush had said. Harry supposed that it was because they had been friends for years beforehand. This train of thought made him think how his life could have been different if he hadn't rejected Draco's handshake on that first day at Hogwarts.

"So, I was thinking we could spend the rest of the day at the beach. What do you guys think?" Hermione suggested after they had all finished their food.

"I'm in."

"Me too."

The trio filed out of the pavilion in a line. As soon as his feet hit the sand, Harry was running.

"Race you!" He called over his shoulder a grin stretched over his face as his feet squished in the sand

He heard curses behind him as Hermione and Ron both tried to catch up, laughing. Harry couldn't stop laughing. Today was a good day.

* * *

"So I said, 'He planned this whole vacation for you, after all' and then he asked 'How did you know about that?' He looked so surprised, too!"

Poppy sipped her tea in astonishment while Minerva radiated smugness.

"I told you so, Poppy. This whole trip was for Harry."

Poppy just shook her head before saying, "I guess I'm starting to see it now."

Neville watched on, amused before dropping another 'bombshell,' a word he learned earlier that day from Harry.

"And that's not even the best part. They met up for breakfast earlier today. Harry said it wasn't an official date, but it definitely was."

If Neville had the nerve to admit it, he would say that Minerva squealed in delight.

He stayed silent.

Neville had started meeting with Minerva and Poppy for nighttime tea at the beginning of eighth year. They mostly just gossiped, which Neville didn't readily admit to. Harry was the first person he told, other than Luna. This was the first night that all three had gotten together on vacation, and the gossip they had now was incredible. Harry and Draco! Neville thought it was about damn time. When Minerva had first told him how Draco had paid for the trip and requested Harry as a roommate, Neville almost fainted from excitement. It was finally happening!

At least he had Poppy and 'Minnie,' as Minerva told him to call her, to talk these things out with. Minnie was entirely on board with pairing Harry and Draco, and Poppy was getting there. They still had four days of vacation—four days of romance and drama for the three to feed on for the whole trip.

Neville had packed an entire case of tea, after all.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hello all, back with chapter 3! Each chapter covers a day, but I thought it would be better to end each chapter with the same word count. So, I only went into detail for half the day. Warning, though, the next chapter is probably going to be longer, and the rating will probably go up (just to teen, don't get any ideas).

A big thank you to Gammily for beta'ing this chapter for me. Check out her stuff! Leave a like and review if you enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4: Thursday-Part One

**Thursday-Part One**

When Harry wakes up on Thursday, the sun hasn't fully come out yet but he's too excited to go back to sleep. He has his first official date today! He doesn't count the disastrous one he shared with Cho back in fifth year. Looking over to his left, Harry sees Draco still sleeping soundly. Quietly making his way out of bed, Harry pulls on his muggle trainers and workout attire. If he couldn't go back to sleep this early he could at least be doing something productive.

Running along the sand, Harry made his way to the boardwalk located more inland than the cabins. After stretching for a few minutes, Harry began with a light jog, gradually picking up speed until he was at a satisfying pace. The sun's rays could be seen jutting out from behind the mountain on the opposite side of the island and Harry enjoyed it while breathing in the brisk morning air. He usually wasn't a morning person but when he was up, running was his favorite activity.

After running for a little less than an hour, Harry ran into two familiar faces walking along the boardwalk in what surprisingly looked like muggle workout clothes. Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. Harry slowed down his run into a jog as they approached, coming to a stop once they were directly in front of him. They wore stern expressions that could rival McGonagall on her best day. And they were both directed at him. Great.

"Potter. Or should I call you Harry now? After all, you and Draco dearest are together, right? " Greengrass asked, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. Harry resisted the urge to shiver.

Harry ran a nervous hand through his hair as he answered, "Draco and I aren't in a relationship yet. We just have a first date tonight. And—uh—you can call me Harry if you'd like."

Greengrass regarded him for a moment before nodding her head once toward him, her long blonde ponytail bobbing with the motion.

"You can call me Daphne."

Parkinson stepped forward and placed herself directly in Harry's personal space. He could smell the floral shampoo in her hair as she looked up at him. She took Harry's hand in her own in an iron grip and shook it. It took effort for Harry to hide his wince but he held his ground nonetheless. Parkinson whipped her black hair around her shoulders as she said, "And you can call me Parkinson."

"Pansy!" exclaimed Daphne.

"Oh all right," Parkinson said with a laugh. She loosened her grip and took a small step back.

"Call me Pansy, Potter."

Harry smiled in relief as he answered, "Then call me Harry. It's nice to finally meet you guys properly. So, why are you both up so early? Working out as well?"

He gestured to their outfits at his last question. Pansy looked down and realized what Harry was pointing out.

"Muggle workout gear is all the rage right now. We just got back from sunrise yoga."

Daphne cut in soon, "So, Harry, do you know what you're wearing on your date tonight? You're going out to dinner, right?"

Harry was silent before giving a small shrug.

"Yeah, dinner and a movie. And, uh, clothes?" He faltered at their unimpressed stare, so he backtracked and tried to elaborate. "A button-down shirt?"

Daphne and Pansy were both shaking their heads.

Daphne spoke first, "That just won't do. We're going shopping today. After breakfast. No objections."

Pansy was nodding now, then she spoke up, "We'll help you look decently presentable. That color is a start." She was giving him a sly smirk and Harry looked down and pinked in a way that had nothing to do with the sun or his workout.

She was gesturing to his green shirt. Merlin, that really was the only color Hermione packed him.

Harry sighed in defeat and said, "Fine. You guys can take me shopping under one condition. Hermione comes along as well."

Merlin knows he would need some sort of support. Daphne and Pansy looked at one another before shrugging and turning back to Harry.

"That's fine with us," Pansy answered."We'll see you after breakfast."

The two girls then turned and made their way further down the boardwalk. Harry was soon running past them, all three making their way back to the cabins. Harry started to mentally prepare himself for what was about to happen. He had a shopping excursion to get ready for.

* * *

Draco was gone by the time Harry had arrived back at their cabin, which was not surprising as it was almost time for breakfast. Harry took a quick shower before getting dressed at a slightly more sedate pace, taking the time to put his outfit together. Harry thought about Draco being at lunch and chose the green shirt closest to the Slytherin color. Morgana, he was getting sappy. But he also couldn't stop smiling as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Going to meet your man, then?" the mirror said. Right. Magical mirrors. Harry had almost forgotten.

"Yeah, actually." Harry had never gotten used to the sentient mirrors, not knowing when they would compliment him or start to nag him about his hair.

"You look great, sweetie. Go get him!" Harry nodded at the mirror and left, giving it a final wave.

Stepping out of the cabin, Harry was met with the sight of Neville walking around bare-chested with just a pair of bright orange swim trunks on. Merlin, when did Neville get so ripped?! Harry wished he had such a well-defined six-pack.

Maybe Draco did…

Before he could blush as red as a tomato, Harry shrugged off his thoughts and waved to Neville, who returned the wave enthusiastically.

"Hey, mate," Neville greeted as Harry started walking next to him, "heading to breakfast?"

Harry gave a nod before giving Neville a weird look.

"So, you're in a gossip club with McGonagall and Pomfrey?"

Neville paused a bit before giving a nervous smile, "Well, they're fun to be around. And you and Draco have been the latest hot topic."

Harry just rolled his eyes. He wasn't surprised that people were gossiping, he was just surprised at _who_ was doing the gossiping. McGonagall, Pomfrey, and Neville… Harry could only imagine how those meetings went.

"You know what, Neville? I don't need to know anymore."

Neville sagged with relief. "Thanks, Harry."

"So," Neville steered the conversation away from the gossip group, "what are your plans for the day?"

Harry sighed and explained "Daphne, Pansy, and Hermione are taking me shopping and then I have a date with Draco later tonight."

Neville 'oohed' at the end. "Sounds like a fancy day." His tone reminded Harry of all the girls gossiping when he went to primary school in Surrey.

"What are you doing today?" Harry asked.

Neville grinned excitedly. "Well, yesterday morning you gave me the bright idea to look up if they have surfing classes here. Turns out they do! I'm just coming from a lesson I had this morning, and I have another one after breakfast. Just a fun day on the beach for me."

Harry was a bit jealous of the easy day Neville was going to have but nothing could overshadow his plans for that night. Suddenly, Harry saw Hermione up ahead on the path and he knew he had to talk to her as soon as possible.

He slapped Neville on the back before apologizing, "Sorry to cut this talk short, but I got to speak to Hermione. I'll see you later, mate." He rushed forward to Hermione, careful not to exert himself too much and get his nice shirt all sweaty.

"Hey, Hermione!"

The bushy-haired girl turned back at the sound of her name. Her face lit up when she saw it was Harry.

"Hi, Harry! You look a bit out of sorts. What's wrong?"

After catching his breath from catching up to her, Harry dropped the news.

"I sort of invited you on a shopping trip with Daphne, Pansy, and me. They want to take me shopping for the date tonight."

Hermione stared at him before her look turned contemplative. "'I'm surprised you're so suddenly on a first name basis with those two. I was _supposed_ to go hiking up the volcano with Ron today, but I'm sure he'll understand. Fine, I'll go with you. Only if you admit you're a chicken."

Harry rolled his eyes before giving in.. "Yes, yes. I'm a chicken for not wanting to be alone with two scary Slytherin females."

Hermione gave him a look and crossed her arms. "Are you saying I'm _not_ scary?"

Harry waved his hands in a pacifying manner. "No, you're plenty scary. Sorry if you thought differently. Please don't punch me."

Hermione 'hmphed' before continuing forward. Soon they reached the dining pavilion and Harry's stomach rumbled in recognition. Surprisingly, Ron was already seated and piling food on his plate. He was usually the last one of them to get up in the mornings. Hermione took the seat on Ron's right while Harry took the one on his left. Ron greeted them both happily when they sat down, his words garbled by the food in his mouth. Harry started loading his plate with some crispy bacon and potatoes. He was going to need all the energy he could get to make it through a shopping trip with those three girls. As he chewed, he bet it couldn't be any worse than when Fleur and Gabrielle took him shopping. Harry really should have known better.

* * *

"Harry!"

At his name, Harry stopped in his tracks from where he was heading to town with Daphne, Pansy, and Hermione. Introductions between the three had been a bit awkward but the worst part was the walk over. Everyone was completely silent as a nervous tension was prevalent throughout the group. That's why when Harry heard his name being called, he welcomed the distraction.

It was Draco. The platinum-haired boy was smiling his way and Harry greeted him with his own wide grin as he jogged over to the other boy.

"Hey, Draco. How are you?"

Draco adjusted the sunglasses resting on his head. "I'm better now that I've met up with you. I was hoping to catch you before your little shopping excursion. I just wanted to give you some advice: you're on vacation, Harry. Don't forget that. Daphne and Pansy aren't two big bad basilisks. Think of them like two garden snakes, they're just enjoying themselves like you are. So have fun!"

Draco gave Harry's arm a not-unwelcome squeeze at the last sentence, and all Harry could think about was how cool his palm was against his own sun-heated skin. Draco leaned in a bit, his mouth inches from Harry's ear.

"Also, did you see Neville earlier?" Draco smirked as he spoke, already knowing the answer.

"I know right!" Harry whisper-yelled. "How can someone get so buff so quickly?"

Draco laughed. "You, Harry, just didn't notice. Now once the shirt comes off everyone starts paying attention. Well, have fun on your girls day out!"

Harry gave a small groan and then gave the blonde boy a wry smile. "I'll try."

Draco watched him start to walk away before smacking his head lightly. Merlin, I almost forgot."

Harry stopped walking and waited for him to finish speaking. Draco's cheeks colored in nervousness.

"Let's meet at the movie theatre tonight at six. That way we have time to eat afterward. Ever had sushi before?"

Harry shook his head. The Dursley's would never have taken him for sushi, or gotten in for themselves for that matter. He only had one last question. "What movie are we seeing?"

"The Wizard of Oz."

 _Huh_ , Harry thought. _How fitting._ Of course the people here had latched on to the first title with 'wizard' in it.

Harry gave Draco another smile, touched at how much thought was going into the date and the whole trip in general.

"Good choice," Harry agreed. He wasn't surprised that the town was showing such an old movie; while more advanced than the average wizarding town, the people were still decades behind in adapting to muggle technology.

Feeling reckless, Harry rushed in and planted a quick kiss on Draco's cheek—causing the other boy to stand shock-still. Harry twirled around with a laugh and caught up to Daphne, Pansy, and Hermione, who were looking on in a mixture of exasperation and fondness. They continued along the boardwalk to town, leaving Draco standing in the middle of the walkway, cradling his cheek softly.

There was a smile on his face.

* * *

"No, no, definitely not that."

Harry felt like he was back at Ollivanders, searching for his first wand. How hard was it to pick out one measly outfit? At least the girls were getting along. All three had strong opinions about him in the color green and they couldn't stop cooing at him. The most recent shirt he tried on was a disgusting puke green color, and Harry morosely wondered how much longer he would have to keep trying on shirts. At least they had gotten through the pants pretty easily—a pair of blue jeans so dark they bordering on black. The store was a mix of muggle and magical clothing which made for fascinating selections. Harry, Daphne, Pansy, and Hermione mostly stuck to the Muggle side. A pair of plain black shoes accompanied the look. The girls seemed to be stuck on what shirt to get him.

"I want him to wear something that screams 'Take me now, but be classy about it,'" Daphne said in a contemplative tone.

Hermione hummed in agreement. "This shirt most definitely does not convey that. Take it off, Harry."

"I feel I'm just being used for my body." Harry muttered snippily and did as she said.

Ten different shirts later and Harry was about ready to sneak out of the store. Finally, they shoved him into a dark green shirt, one with blue undertones. It was adorned with silver buttons. All three ladies nodded their heads once the ensemble was complete on him and then yelled at him to take it off so they could go pay. Harry sighed in relief that the torture was finally over.

* * *

Making his way to the front of the movie theatre, Harry cast a _tempus_. 5:41. He was early. Luckily he had seen the theatre on his run earlier that day or he wouldn't have known where to go. Now all he had to do was wait for Draco to arrive. Harry started fiddling with the sleeves of his button-down shirt. Merlin's beard, he felt so awkward right now. What if this date with Draco didn't go well?

 _You've never been able to sustain a relationship before now, what makes Draco any different?_ A snide voice in Harry's head commented. He ignored the dark thought and instead tried to focus on the positives.

Things with Draco had been going really well so far. He had no reason to think something would go wrong.

His negative thoughts surfaced once again. _But something always goes wrong in your life, doesn't it?_

 _No_ , Harry thought. _Don't go there._

It's just a vacation. He should be _enjoying_ it, not getting battered down by the past. And so what if it might not work out? Harry's dealt with worse before. He's taken any challenge straight by the horns and tackled it into submission. But that wouldn't work in this situation. Tackling Draco to the ground would only end in…

 _Well, let's save that thought for another time, shall we?_ Harry thought with a light flush. Morgana, he had been blushing a lot today. And he just knew that he would be blushing a lot more in the coming night.

"What's got you so deep in thought?"

Harry looked up to see Draco standing in front of him, wearing a button-down shirt in a silver grey that looked to be made of silk. Just looking at it made Harry want to run his hand over it, maybe run his hand over those hidden abs...

Harry coughed once before giving Draco a small smile. "Nothing important. Ready to go in?"

Draco nodded once before stepping forward and gesturing to the theatre.

"After you."

As Harry started walking forward, Draco rested a hand on the small of his back. The light touch was sending shocks down Harry's spine in a pleasant manner.

Harry let out a stressed breath before continuing on through the theatre doors. It was time to enjoy himself.

* * *

A/N:

Hey all! Sorry I've been MIA for the past few weeks. First I was on vacation at Lake George and then I had no inspiration for a while. I decided to split this chapter into two so I could give you guys _something_ and because it was getting too long. Next chapter we get the actual date!

Thank you to Gammily for editing the majority of this chapter—you're the best!

If you like this chapter, please leave a like and review. I love to read every comment so much, each one helps me write more.


	5. Chapter 5: Thursday-Part Two

**Thursday- Part Two**

Harry and Draco walked out of the theatre together into the cool night air. Harry was on cloud nine. The movie had been great, the popcorn hot and buttery, and best of all, he and Draco hadn't let go of each other's hands since the movie started. Harry had never seen _The Wizard of Oz_ before, only ever hearing bits and pieces of it film through the door of his cupboard, but seeing the real thing made it so much more magical. Draco had been blown away by the ideas that the muggles came up in the movie. Harry was content simply watching Draco's reactions for half the movie. Hands swinging back and forth between them, Draco cast a quick _tempus_ , telling them it was 7:34.

Draco cursed quickly before squeezing Harry's hand in a quick burst before tugging him down the sidewalk as he ran. Harry refused to let go of Draco's hand and with a burst of speed, he caught up to Draco so they were running side by side. Harry let out a loud whoop of laughter as adrenaline rushed through his veins."What in Merlin's name are we doing?"

"We have a reservation for 7:30. We're late!" Draco called over his shoulder.

Harry slowed down, pulling Draco's hand backward with him. Now at a refreshing speed walk, Harry tilted his head and furrowed his brow with a teasing grin on his face. "Didn't you rent out this whole island? I'm sure there's no wait."

Draco slowed his steps as his face flushed, causing Harry to huff out a small laugh. Draco cleared his throat before turning his face away from Harry.

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

They walked together in amiable silence for a bit before Harry broke it with a question.

"So, who was your favorite character from the movie?"

Draco was quiet for a moment, giving the question more thought than Harry expected he would. His chest felt light as he realized how much effort Draco was putting into the date, into being with him.

Harry gave his full attention to Draco once he opened his stupidly perfect mouth and began talking. "Out of all of them, the Cowardly Lion was my favorite. He reminded me of Neville, back in first year, and by the end of the movie he transformed into something braver and bigger." He reddened slightly. "I don't know why I thought of it like that, but it seemed to reflect his change. He led the DA last year, he stood up to the Carrows, he did everything brilliantly. And he was just so different than he used to be.."

Harry sobered a bit at the mention of all that Neville had gone through at Hogwarts. "I've never thought of it that way," Harry said honestly.

Draco nudged him with his elbow, a little awkward considering he was still holding Harry's hand. The sun had long since set but Draco's eyes stood out as a bright silver, as beautiful as a full moon to Harry.

"Well? What about you then?" Draco asked. Harry smiled softly as Draco looked at him. He squeezed his hand once more.

Harry hummed as he gathered his words. With a straight face, he said "I'd have to go with the Wicked Witch of the West. Her skin tone matches my eyes."

Harry glanced up at Draco through his lashes and blinked prettily at him, fluttering his long eyelashes.

Draco's mouth dropped open when he saw the look before bursting out with rich laughter. The sound warmed him up slowly, traveling from the tips of his ears all the way down to his toes.

Harry tightened his hold on Draco's hand before slowly leaning into the other boy's side. Draco stopped laughing abruptly, looking down at Harry. After a moment he smiled softly, Harry returning the expression. They walked the rest off the way to the restaurant in silence, both content with the other's presence.

* * *

 _Right, so sashimi is just raw fish, sushi comes with rice, a roll is wrapped in rice and seaweed._ Harry repeated the mantra in his head as the two boys were seated. Hermione had gone into lecture-mode earlier that day when Harry asked for the basics of sushi. Those three points were the only things he remembered from the interaction, everything else turning into a fast-paced blur. He was terrified of walking into another meal where he didn't understand the menu. Breakfast the day before on their first date had already been embarrassing enough. Harry fought a blush. They went on a date! And were on their second one at that very moment.

The restaurant was luxuriously decorated in a way that made Harry forget he was on a tropical island. Red accents on the walls and in the table decorations were featured throughout the in the otherwise dark and polished wood theme.

Their table was situated in a secluded corner of the restaurant. Harry was surprised to see other people from their year eating there tonight Hannah, Susan, Padma, and Parvati seemed to be having a girls night out. Harry also saw Seamus and Dean together, tucked away in a small booth like Draco and Harry. Before Harry could think more about those two, he caught sight of what looked like Neville, McGonagall, and Pomfrey eating at a table a few feet away. He saw them whispering to one another and looking over at him every so often. Harry groaned and dropped his shoulders in dismay

Draco looked at him in alarm. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Harry waved off his concern. "Nothing really important. But if you look over there— _no don't be so obvious!_ —you'll see Neville, McGonagall, and Pomfrey at a table together."

Draco was confused. "What's so wrong about that? Neville has an old soul. Or maybe the other two have young souls? It doesn't mean anything."

"No, you _don't understand_. They all gossip like a bunch of old ladies! Well, two of them are but Neville! He's involved!" Harry stared at Draco, determined not to look over to that table. "And it's all Neville's fault, too."

Harry discretely pointed to their table. When Neville and the two staff saw Harry and Draco looking over, they raised their menus to cover their faces.

Harry snorted. _Like that would do them any good._

Draco was still eying the three with a look of amusement before letting out a small laugh.

"And I'm guessing we're the hottest topic of conversation, right?"

Harry solemnly nodded in response. Draco's gaze flitted over to the three and then back to Harry once more.

"Well that's just shoddy planning on their part, isn't it? If _I_ were in their situation, I would use a Notice Me Not charm right away. Not that I would ever be in that situation." He let out an exaggerated disdainful sniff.

Harry gave a laugh at that, imagining Draco lurking behind a menu in the same way that McGonagall and the others were doing The waiter came back causing Harry and Draco to forget all about the gossip group for a bit. Harry was proud to say he only pronounced half of the items he ordered incorrectly. Draco, of course, had no problems whatsoever, sending Harry a smug smirk after placing his order.

The two were engaged in deep conversation and thoroughly enjoying their meal when the waiter came back carrying a large bottle in his hands. He set it down on the table and filled two small glasses that appeared.

"A bottle of our finest sake, compliments of the table over there."

The waiter waved his hand to indicate McGonagall, Pomfrey, and Neville's table. Seeing the two boys looking over, the three raised their glasses in greeting, giving up the pretense of hiding and confidently spying on their progressing date. Harry rolled his eyes before looking over to Draco and sent him a shrug. They lifted their glasses in unison to return the toast. Swallowing down the sake, Harry enjoyed the light burn he felt in his throat. It was nothing compared to the throat scorching Firewhiskey, so Harry felt like he was really able to enjoy it. Draco seemed to think along the same lines because when Harry raised the bottle and offered a refill, he accepted.

Taking a bite of sushi, Harry decided that he enjoyed the restaurant— whether it was the cozy atmosphere, the food, Draco's wonderful company, or a combination of them all, Harry didn't know. He had never realized how funny the other boy was, or how charismatic. Harry could listen to his stories for hours and still stay captivated. It was the sheer magnitude of Draco himself whenever he walked into a room. He hypnotized Harry and held his attention close, as if he were the dragon of his namesake and was trying to hoard all of Harry, keeping him close at all times. And Harry never wanted to be released.

* * *

By the time they left the restaurant, it was nearing midnight. They had stayed for hours after their meal was done, simply talking and drinking. Even the gossip group became too tired to continue stalking their date, but the boys were too engrossed in each other to notice time passing, or the fact that they had finished the entire bottle of sake.

They walked down the wooden boardwalk back towards their cabin, taking turns hanging on to the other to keep their balance. Harry and Draco were considerably drunker when they left, and their staggered steps made them giggle whenever they veered off to one side. Hands clasped together once again, Harry drunkenly wondered why their hands hadn't gotten sweaty yet but attributed it to either magic or how perfect Draco was.

Draco's steps led them off of the boardwalk and toward the sandy beach. He let go of Harry's hand to poke his cheek. "Hey. Hey Harry."

Harry turned to him sluggishly and let out a small hmm in response, mind feeling soft and fuzzy and happy. Draco pointed to the clear water, the moon reflected but slightly distorted by waves. He then tripped over his feet, kicking sand everywhere before grabbing onto Harry's arm before he got a faceful of sand. Harry snorted at him but helped him back up.

Draco insistently tugged Harry forward. "Let's go to the water. It looks so pretty." Harry was willing to do anything Draco suggested at this point, content to go with the flow.

Not waiting for a response, Draco started walking towards the beach. But when his arm got held back, he turned around confused, like he forgot he was holding hands with Harry in the first place. Harry had sobered up a bit and he realized the precarious situation they were in.

"Wait," Harry said, eyes clearer than they were a second before, "you're not supposed to go near water when you're drunk. That's bad."

Draco scoffed before rolling his eyes. "Merlin, Harry, it fine. They have, like, anti-drowning charms and stuff. And we're not going swimming. I just want to walk by the water."

Harry seemed uncertain before going along with the plan. He took out his wand from his arm holster and banished his shoes back to the cabin before he got more sand in them. He wiggled his toes in the warm sand and let out a satisfied sigh. Draco followed his example before sprinting to the edge of the water. The warm water lapped at his toes and he stared out at the open sea, so calm and serene. He turned around and waved Harry over to him, his bright smile a beacon in the night. Harry jogged over to catch up and they both just stood there, feet in the warm water and a light breeze ruffling their hair. Blindly, Harry reached for Draco's hand again, wanting to physically share the perfect moment with him. The blond-haired boy sent Harry a tight squeeze, as if he knew what Harry was feeling and was letting him know that he felt it too.

"I like you, Harry. I _like_ like you. A lot. Probably too much."

Harry knew Draco wouldn't be confessing that outside of his inebriated state. From what Harry knew of Draco's childhood, he hadn't often expressed his emotions so openly. Harry hadn't either, so he knew how much it must have taken the other boy to say that. Harry tightened his grip on Draco in reassurance and understanding.

Harry looked away from the gorgeous scene in front of him and turned to Draco. He thought he could feel the magic in the air, encouraging him to speak. He listened. "I like you too. I never thought that we would end up here, like this. I'm happy that we are. I'm happy that we're here. Together."

Draco smiled down at him before his eyes softened into another look, something that made Harry's insides freeze and melt at the same time. Closing his eyes, Harry felt the same urge as before, the _want_ , and he fell in, caught by the warm softness of Draco's lips on his. Draco's mouth opened hot under his and Harry felt the tension completely melt out of him as if Draco was the only thing that could get him to relax that fully, to make him feel complete again.. Draco's hand came up to cup Harry's cheek while the other reached out to his waist, pulling him closer.

Logic suddenly came back to Harry, the spell broken. His mind worked in overdrive as the tension crawled back into his body. What was he supposed to be doing with his mouth? He didn't know and the thought of ruining the most perfect moment passed through his mind. Merlin, where was that Gryffindor courage when he needed it? Harry 's arms flailed about for a bit, not quite sure where they wanted to rest. Harry wanted to touch Draco everywhere. His hair, his face, his back, his arms. Draco must have known what he was thinking as he moved his hands to grasp Harry's own, a strong presence that calmed his racing mind.

The two broke apart at the same time, their eyes meeting. They were breathing heavily, chests touching as they both caught their breath. Harry looked over Draco, seeing his lips kiss red and swollen, slightly glossy from their shared saliva. He blushed and looked down, seeing his shirt disheveled. He was suddenly embarrassed. Harry readjusted his shirt in an attempt to calm his still racing heart. Draco still had his face stuck mid-kiss but he finally opened his eyes to see Harry a few feet away. The black-haired boy gave his companion a wry smile.

"I didn't want our first kiss to be when we were drunk. But I'm happy that it happened." Harry fidgeted with the end of his shirt, looking down as if he were too shy to face Draco.

Draco regained his composure, looking as put together as one could after a good snogging session. "Yeah, me too. Next time will be better, right?" Draco seemed unsure when he said 'next time,' as if Harry wouldn't want it to happen again.

Harry raised his head, a teasing smile on his face. "Practice makes perfect, doesn't it. Until then… race you!"

At the last two words, Harry spun on his feet bolted down the beach towards their cabin. He heard an indignant noise of protest behind him before he heard Draco splashing in the water as he ran behind him. Letting out a loud peal of laughter, Harry ran faster, determined to win the race. The cabins finally came into Harry's sight and he ran across the shallow water up to the wooden stairs. He heard Draco let out a soft curse as he waded through the calf-deep water to their shared room. Harry dried off his legs with a spell and flopped face down on the bed. There was no way he was doing anything other than falling straight asleep in the next five minutes.

Draco finally burst through the door, chest heaving from the run. He followed Harry's example and threw himself on his own bed.

The two laid in silence, listening to the sound of the waves lapping onto the shore below. "I had a really fun night. Thank you, Draco," Harry said. He really hadn't had such a fun night in ages.

But Draco didn't answer, because he was already deep asleep. Harry sighed softly before being taken over by fatigue himself.

Both boys fell fast asleep with hidden smiles on their faces.

* * *

A/N:

Hey all! Part two is here! As a note, you really shouldn't drink and swim. That's how you drown. Life lessons with dylanpidge. I read somewhere that JK Rowling actually wanted Seamus and Dean together, but she thought their relationship would take away from the main storyline. No idea if it's true, but it's a headcanon for me.

Also I've never been one to write kiss scenes so hopefully it wasn't too hard to read.

Thank you to Gammily for editing, you are the best person in the world seriously. If you like this story please leave a like and review. Each review pushes me to write more so I really appreciate them!


	6. Chapter 6: Friday- Part One

**Friday- Part One**

Harry woke up to the sound of groaning. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Harry looked over to see Draco sitting up in bed. Casting a _tempus,_ Harry found out it was 11:14. Harry wasn't surprised he was waking up late; alcohol always put him out like a light. Draco let out another noise of discontent.

"Merlin's balls, I shouldn't have drank so much last night. I get a hangover from the smallest amount of alcohol."

Harry, on the other hand, felt great—if still a little tired. Ron had always been jealous of the fact that no matter how much Harry drank, he woke up refreshed the next morning. Draco noticed Harry's lack of hangover, making him green with envy. _On second thought, he just looks green._ Draco groaned again before laying back down on his bed.

"Five more minutes," Draco muttered absently.

Harry shrugged before heading into the bathroom for a quick shower. When he got out, Draco was thankfully sitting up in bed. Suddenly Draco swore, looking upward.

"Merlin, I'm an idiot. I forgot I had a hangover potion in my bag."

Harry was already dressed at this point, still with a towel around his neck. Harry smirked at Draco.

"Planning on getting drunk, were you?"

Draco pinked a bit at this as he stood up and slowly made his way over to his suitcase. He started rummaging around, moving clothes out of the way. He paused in his search to look over at Harry.

"Well, maybe. It _is_ a vacation after all and we're of age."

Harry only laughs in response as he puts on his sandals. Tilting his head in question, Harry asks, "Want me to wait for you and we can get brunch together?"

Draco had found the bottomless pouch the potion under his bed, but seemed to be having trouble locating it. In fact, his entire arm was buried in the bag as he rummaged through it. Harry was sure that if Draco could have fit his shoulder in the bag, he would have done that too.

"No, go on without me. I'll meet you there once I find this bloody potion and take a shower."

Harry shrugged before heading outside.

"Don't be too long. I'll be saving you a seat," Harry called over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

Making his way through the beach and along the boardwalk, Harry thought back to the night before. Harry was still giddy from the date. He never knew he could feel so at ease with someone. Being with Cho or Ginny was nothing like being with Draco. With the girls, Harry was always very aware of his actions. He was always worried about how they would judge him, because they were so taken with the idea that Harry was the famous Boy Who Lived. With Draco, it was different. Harry had the chance to be just Harry, and the feeling of being himself with no expectations was liberating. Draco couldn't give a rat's arse about Harry's 'title,' which Harry was very thankful for—Draco made him feel like he could just let go and _relax_ for once.

Draco focused solely on Harry was speaking, like he was soaking up every word that came out of Harry's mouth like a starving man who was hungry for more. And Harry _wanted_ Draco's eyes on him. He wanted to give Draco the same level of attention he gave Harry. He wanted to hear Draco's laugh, see his eyes light up like the fairy lights on the Dursleys Christmas tree. And most of all, he wanted to see Draco smile. He had the most beautiful smile, in Harry's opinion. His smile reminded Harry of a lone bright star in an endless black sky, shining bright and powerful and completely unafraid of the darkness surrounding it

Harry stopped walking and stared ahead, not really seeing anything as he realized how far gone he was. Dear Merlin, here he was waxing poetics about Draco. This had never happened with Cho or Ginny, and Harry was seriously worried there was something wrong with his head. Before he could further question his inner Shakespeare, Harry heard his name being called from down the beach towards the boardwalk. It was Neville and Ron. Both were in their bathing suits and looked to be out of breath from all the running they did to get to Harry.

"Harry, mate," Ron greeted, "you have to try surfing! I never thought I would find something as exciting as Quidditch, but surfing comes in as a close second. Merlin, I wish I lived by the beach." By now all three of them were walking along the boardwalk.

"Hello to you too Ron," Harry responded, "Neville was just telling me about surfing yesterday. Didn't you, mate?"

Neville nodded his head. "Harry gave me the idea when he lied to me about going on a date with Draco."

Harry reddened at Neville's response while Ron guffawed.

"Merlin, Harry, you really thought you could keep something from this gossip queen?" Ron pointed at Neville, "I don't think so. McGonagall and Pomfrey are too prim and proper to ask you about the details themselves so Neville is their niffler. Except he gets them information, not gold. But if you ask me, they like their gossip as much as a niffler likes shiny things."

Harry blanched at Ron's exclamation and Neville smiled broadly at being compared to a niffler.

"You _knew_ about them? How?" asked Harry, mouth still open in disbelief. Usually Ron was one of the last people to know about the local gossip.

Neville quickly chimed in, "And I appreciate the compliment, Ron. Nifflers are especially good finders"

Ron shrugged as he answered, "You know how you lend me the map sometimes? Well, one night I saw McGonagall, Pomfrey, and Neville gathered in the Headmistress's Office. Not too weird. Maybe it was personal business. But it kept happening. Almost every time I used the map at night I saw them together. Really, Harry, you're so oblivious at times—I'm surprised you didn't notice. I was worried about Neville so then I confronted him about it and he confessed right away."

Harry was gaping at Ron. Once the ginger-haired boy was finished, Harry straightened up in indignation.

"Why did you never tell me?"

Ron shrugged again, "I guess I'm not the gossiping type."

Neville snorted. Harry turned his attention to Neville and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"And you! What were you, McGonagall, and Pomfrey doing at that restaurant last night? Do I have to file a restraining order against you guys? You were more obvious than a giant in Gringotts!"

Neville reddened at Harry's reproachful tone.

"I'll admit," Neville said, "that we might have gone a _little_ bit overboard last night." He held his thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart as he explained, looking sheepish.

Harry sent him a look that showed how utterly unimpressed he was. Ron looked back and forth between them as if they were playing a fascinating game of chess. Harry took both of Nevile's hands and then held them roughly a meter apart.

Harry took a step back as Neville looked down to his spread hands. "Now _this_ distance is more accurate, Nev."

Neville winced before donning a hopeful expression, "But Harry, you're still going to tell us how the date went right? Right?"

Now Neville just seemed desperate. Ron spoke up, "To be honest, mate, I agree with Neville. Not about the stalking of your date part. Not cool, Neville. But I want to know how your date went, Harry."

Harry gave them a long-suffering sigh before answering, "I know once we get to the dining pavilion I'm going to be hounded with questions from everyone who heard about it. I'll just answer them there. You will get a brief rundown of how the night went, and I'm only going to say it once. And I mean very brief. You guys will just have to be patient."

Neville looked ahead and smiled as the pavilion was in front of them

"Look at that! We're here now. Can't wait to hear what happened after we left."

Neville winked at Harry who subsequently punched his arm. Hard. Neville winced before letting a smirk settle onto his face.

"I guess I deserved that."

The three made their way onto the pavilion where half of their year were sitting around talking. Just as Harry stepped inside, all eyes were on him. He was quickly overwhelmed as the present eighth year students crowded around him. McGonagall and Pomfrey stayed back, but they were subconsciously leaning in to hear what Harry had to say.

Harry mentally sighed. "I had secretly hoped that everyone would have left already. This must be my Potter luck coming into play."

Neville snorted, "Harry, mate, they were waiting for you. This has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with our year being gossip mongers."

Parvati was the first to speak up. "Spill it, Harry! How was the date?"

She was at the front of the crowd, along with Hannah and Susan next to her. Even the Slytherins were vying for a place up front. Harry closed his eyes and let out a resigned sigh.

He rubbed his forehead and spoke to the crowd. "Okay, everyone. Settle down." Merlin, Harry felt like a teacher. "Because I know you guys won't stop harassing me until I give you information," cue a long stare at Neville, "I will tell you guys what happened with _minimal_ detail. And that'll be all you're getting out of me."

Everyone leaned in further. Harry rolled his eyes at their enthusiasm. Weren't there other things more interesting?

"No mate, this is juicy stuff." Neville's answer made Harry realize he had spoken aloud. And for some reason, Harry was weirded out by Neville saying the word 'juicy.'

"Anyways," Harry said, getting back to the dreaded topic, "Draco and I saw a movie—no, I'm not explaining what a movie is, ask someone else—then we went out for sushi. After that we walked along the beach back to our cabin. And that's it."

An assortment of voices spoke up in indignation, wanting to hear more details. A smooth voice cut through the crowd's complaints.

"You forgot the part where I confessed my undying love for you and asked you to marry me."

Oh, thank Merlin, Harry's very own savior was finally there. Turning around, Harry was met with Draco, looking as gorgeous as ever. His hair was still damp from his shower but at least Draco didn't look like he was about to empty the contents of his stomach on the ground anymore. Harry smirked at him as he came to stand next to him. Before he could think about it, Harry boldly took Draco's hand in his own. Draco smiled at him and gave his hand a squeeze.

"Oh yes, how could I forget? We're getting married tonight. We couldn't wait any longer!" Harry answered

The crowd was smiling now, distracted from asking any more questions about last night, which Harry was thankful for. He was lucky that Draco arrived when he did. Harry didn't know if he could have listened to their incessant questions. The group filtered out after that, as they all had a day of fun activities ahead of them.

Hermione finally popped up. She had been standing at the back of the crowd, waiting for the commotion to end. The Slytherins hadn't left either, and neither had Ron or Neville. McGonagall and Pomfrey were having a conversation a few feet away, but their eyes slyly kept making their way back to Harry and Draco. Harry and Draco were still holding hands when Hermione finally walked over to them with a small smile.

"So, you guys had a fun time then? What did you think of the Wizard of Oz, Draco?"

Before Draco could answer, Ron butted in, " _Wizard_ of Oz? I thought you said this was a muggle mowwvie?"

"Hush Ronald," Hermione scolded, "and it's pronounced _movie_."

Draco flitted his eyes to the redhead before ignoring the interruption. "I enjoyed it quite a bit. It makes me curious about other muggle movies."

Hermione's eyes lit up at the chance to educate Draco in muggle culture. The blond-haired boy tightened his grip on Harry's hand as Hermione went on a long-winded speech about cinematography. Harry then felt a tap on his shoulder and when he turned he was face to face with Blaise, Pansy, and Daphne.

"So," Blaise prompted, "how did the night _really_ go?"

Harry noticed Neville and Ron making their way over to Harry's side. Draco was still caught up in the one-sided conversation with Hermione.

"I don't know what you mean," Harry said plainly with a smile on his face, lying straight through his teeth and Blaise knew it. Harry waved his free hand in the air, "We had a nice night."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Of course you had a nice night. You spent it with Draco. But we want the details."

Neville nudged Harry's side. "Yeah, mate. Like what happened _after_ your walk on the beach?"

Ron and Neville both started wiggling their eyebrows at the question. For once in his life, his face resisted a blush. It was just their luck that Hermione caught the end of the conversation.

"Ronald! What have I said about being crass? And Neville! I expected better of you." At each of their names, Hermione smacked them hard on the arm. Harry didn't feel bad for Neville or Ron as they rubbed their sore arms. Harry turned back to Draco, who sent a soft smile his way when he noticed Harry's gaze.

"Ron and I have to get going." Hermione said, "We're taking a bubble tour around the island in half an hour and Ron still has to change. Draco, if you have any other questions about muggle movies let me know—"

"Bubble tour?" Harry blurted out, confused

Hermione laughed, "Yeah! I know, right!" She had misinterpreted his confusion as interest. "Essentially, there is a spell that creates a giant bubble, and a tour guide takes you to float around the island. It really sounds quite fascinating, because the tour guide has to be able to control the winds outside of it to decide where you go, and I see your face. I'm going on a rant again, aren't I."

She looked slightly apologetic. Hermione made a face before finishing her thought. "But really, It sounds like a lot of fun, as long as you just remember that it won't pop like a regular bubble."

She turned to her boyfriend. "Ron, we should really get going. We only stayed this long to hear how Harry's night went."

The departure of Ron and Hermione prompted the rest of the group to disperse. Before the Slytherins left, they got a promise from Draco to make sure to talk to them later. Harry could only assume that it was for the details of last night. After dinner, Harry planned to go into more detail with Ron and Hermione.

A rumble cut through Harry's thoughts and he realized it was his stomach. He blushed as Draco laughed.

"Don't worry. I'm hungry too," Draco said.

The pavilion was empty now save McGonagall and Pomfrey, who were enjoying a cup of coffee as they sat in the shade. Eyeing a suitable spot to eat, Draco lead Harry to the closest table. Piling his plate high with food, Harry was unable to keep the smile off his face. The night before was so perfect and now he got to spend the morning with Draco, almost completely alone.

"What are you smiling about?" Draco teased.

Harry's smile softened slightly but he didn't answer, instead taking a large bite of the croissant in his hand. He gave Draco a smug smile as his cheeks bulged with pastry. Draco laughed.

"Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a hike together up the volcano?"

Harry choked a bit on his croissant.

"Volcano? I thought it was just a mountain. That is so cool! Yes, let's definitely go! Do you think we could fly over the lava? Like on our brooms?"

"The lava would be too hot, the brooms would burn up and we'd fall in and die."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'. Honestly, Potter. I used to think that you would go looking for trouble, and I think I might have been right."

"It's Potter now? All right, _Malfoy_." The two had a gleam in their eye that could only mean competition was brewing. Harry's cheeks hurt with how much he was smiling. Draco matched Harry's expression with his own bright grin.

From the other side of the pavilion, two women were watching them intently as they made their bets as the boys continued their conversation. They whispered to each other about what would happen on their trip to the volcano, only stopping when they heard Draco speak.

"It's a date."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long for an update. This is the first part of Friday, with probably two more parts to go. A small warning, there will be some hurt/comfort in the next part(s). I know I wanted to keep it pure fluff but I couldn't help myself. Nothing major, it's just that Harry wasn't paying attention when he should have been. Can anyone guess what's going to happen?

Anyways, thanks to all the reviewers again—you guys really make my day. Please leave a like and comment, I appreciate each and every one. See you guys soon!

A big thank you to Gammily for editing, check out her profile!


	7. Chapter 7: Friday- Part Two

**Friday- Part Two**

After brunch, Harry and Draco decided to meet up at four at the base of the volcano, which meant that Harry had ample time before then to go buy hiking gear. Draco was busy attending a tropical cooking class with the other Slytherins, leaving Harry by himself to go into town. On his way there he was joined by Neville, who was dressed in bright pink swim trunks this time instead of orange.

"Hey, Harry!" Harry was struck all of a sudden with how _loud_ Neville could be. From the nearly fluorescent pink of his swim trunks, to the tone of his voice, to even his general and presence. Harry had been doing a lot of reminiscing this trip, and noticing the differences between his friends now and how they were when they were all young and immature.

Harry inclined his head towards the other boy, "Hey Neville."

The boy grinned. "What are you heading into town for? Where's Draco?"

Harry vaguely gestured in the other direction, "He went with the other Slytherins to take a cooking class. I'm going to do some shopping"

Neville hummed. "Sounds fun. You getting some _extra_ fun, too, later?"

"Oh yeah. We're planning on going wild later. Literally." Harry responded, reveling in Neville's wide eyes at the information he was getting. "We plan on getting pretty down and dirty. And sweaty, too, now that I think about it."

"Do you want to join?" Harry asked with a leer, internally laughing but not wanting to give away the joke.

"Uhh." Neville looked a bit stricken.

"I know Draco wouldn't mind some company and I know you and the other guys want to get to know him better." Harry was having a hard time holding in his laughter.

"Uhh…"

"I think we would thoroughly enjoy your company also. But we'll need to get you out of those swim trunks." Harry sent a wink Neville's way.

Neville held his hands out in front of him. "I think I'm good, Harry, you two can go get, um, sweaty, together. Without me. Please"

Harry faked a sigh of disappointment. "Now that's too bad. A group hike up the volcano would have been fun."

Neville's embarrassed expression melted to one of understanding. It seems he finally remembered Harry and Draco were going on a hike later. "A hike?" Neville asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah! I'm going into town to buy hiking boots and a water bottle." Harry's face grew innocent as he asked his friend, "Why, did you think I was talking about something else?"

"Well, uh-"

"That's what I thought. You really should know better by now, Nev. Get your mind out of the gutter, you prat" Harry responded with a laugh.

* * *

Walking out of the outdoors store, Harry was happy with his purchases. He had bought a pair of sturdy black hiking boots and a silver water bottle that was charmed to refill itself. Neville had been chatting his ear off throughout the whole time they were in the store, his previous embarrassment totally forgotten. It was now almost two, and they were walking down the boardwalk towards the cabins.

"—then, Luna took the turnips out of her ears and—"

"Neville," Harry quickly interrupted, "tree!"

Neville turned his head towards Harry, not looking where he was walking.

"Wha—"

There was a loud smacking noise as Neville's forehead made contact with the palm tree in front of him. Neville moaned in pain as his arms moved up to caress his cheek. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out an almost inaudible hiss.

"Merlin's left testicle, that hurt."

Harry could already see the swelling starting. Thankfully, Neville's hard head had saved him from further injury and there was no blood. Head wounds were a bitch to clean after all. Harry quickly conjured some ice and a handkerchief and then cast a silent freezing charm on the two of them so it wouldn't melt in the heat.

"Here, Neville, hold this to your cheek. I'll take you to Pomfrey. She'll fix you right up."

Neville quickly held the ice to his face and groaned at the instant relief. "Thanks, mate. Good idea."

They reached the main hotel building quickly and they saw Pomfrey and McGonagall relaxing on beach chairs out front. They were wearing lighter robes than they usually wore, something that was modest but could still be worn in the sun. Harry thought that their seating arrangement was well planned. They could be easily found by any of the students but could still relax in the sun if there weren't any issues. McGonagall noticed the two of them first, immediately going to Harry and checking over him, knowing that something must be wrong.

"What did you do, Harry?" Harry huffed a laugh at her meticulous check, thinking that he should be annoyed that she immediately thought he did something before realizing that she had plenty of reasons to think so.

"It wasn't me! Honest!" Harry crossed his fingers over his heart to show his sincerity, then pointed to Neville. Pomfrey immediately noticed the cold pack that Harry had made for Neville before descending upon them. She gestured Neville to take her vacated seat so she could take a look at him. Neville hissed as Pomfrey removed the ice to take a better look at the growing lump on Neville's forehead.

The Mediwitch _tsked_ as she looked at the darkening bruise. "Honestly, Mr. Potter, I'm surprised it isn't you with the injury. What exactly happened, Mr. Longbottom?"

Neville muttered something unintelligible under his breath as he looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

"What was that? We couldn't quite hear you." She said in a teasing voice. Her animagus form had always given her some form of superior hearing in her human form, so Harry knew that she had heard what Neville mumbled quite well.

Neville sighed and looked up at his friends and mentors. "I _said_ , I walked into a palm tree. Happy?"

McGonagall and Pomfrey both held in their laughter because they were very professional, thank you very much. But Harry had no qualms about letting out a loud snort. Neville sent him a slightly betrayed look but Harry only responded with an award-winning grin.

Pomfrey straightened from where she had been leaning over Neville. "Well, come with me," she said, gesturing towards the main hotel. "I have some salve inside that will fix you right up."

The three of them started to make their way to the large building with Harry close behind. Neville and Pomfrey kept walking, but when McGonagall noticed Harry following them, she turned to him in confusion.

"Don't you have a date to get ready for, Mr. Potter? Madame Pomfrey and I can take it from here." The earnest way she spoke made it seem as if it was a fleeting thought, but the gleam in her eye gave Harry insight to her true intentions.

Harry rolled his eyes at the games that everyone was willing to play. "What is it with you guys and meddling in my love life?"

McGonagall's eyes lit up, looking like all too much like a cat who finally caught the mouse. "'Love,' you say?"

Harry groaned and closed his eyes. Merlin, he felt like he was talking to Rita Skeeter, with how much his words were being nitpicked. Instead of replying, Harry just leveled McGonagall with an unimpressed look. A Cheshire grin graced her face, melting away years of stress with it. Seeing her happy at this small thing made Harry want to put up with it for as long as he could. Which meant that he was in this for the long haul. Objectively, he knew that but thinking about it this way made it that much more real.

"Alright, alright, I'll take my leave now," McGonagall placated.

Harry turned and started walking back to the cabins. He waved over his shoulder, "See you later, Professor. And try not to spy on our date this time, please." His voice was pleading on the last word.

Harry thought he heard her whisper ' _no promises_ ' but he chose to ignore it.

* * *

"Any new details on Harry and Draco?" Pomfrey asked, a giddy smile on her face.

It was just her, Neville, and McGonagall in the hotel room that the professor's got. The room was was very cozy, with a small fireplace merrily going in the corner, even though they were on a tropical island. McGonagall had made them all tea and they each nursed their cup as they gossiped. The bruise on Neville's head was fast fading, thanks to the salve that Pomfrey had generously applied upon it.

"Not too much. Before I came to, uh, _intimately_ know that palm tree, I was helping Harry shop for his date with Draco. They are going on a hike up the volcano together and expect to be alone. He bought some special boots and a charmed water bottle. I don't know if he realized, but I think he bought a silver one that t perfectly matched Draco's eyes, which is absolutely adorable, I think."

McGonagall uncharacteristically giggled at Neville's retelling of events. "And I just brought up love with Harry and he didn't say anything! He didn't even tell me that they only liked each other. Everything's moving so smoothly!"

"Well, they are soulmates," Pomfrey commented. Both Neville and McGonagall nodded in agreement. There was no question there. McGonagall finished her tea and transfigured her cup to a champagne glass, delicate stem and all. Neville and Poppy followed suit.

"Now," McGonagall said, raising her glass, "let's toast."

"To well made plans." cheered Neville.

"To young love!" chimed Poppy.

"To Draco and Harry," said McGonagall.

* * *

Harry and Draco had agreed to meet at the base of the volcano, so there Harry was, thirty minutes early. He was sitting on a rock he had transfigured into a half-decent chair, which would have been fine if he had managed to change the fact that it still felt like a rock. He was too on edge to do any passable transfiguration. McGonagall would surely fail him if it was a test. Harry couldn't stop fidgeting in nervousness, moving back and forth on the deceptively hard lounge chair. He had already tied and retied his shoes three times and now his hands were getting clammy. Great. What if Draco wanted to hold hands? He would obviously notice how sweaty they were and then he wouldn't to date him anymore and—

"Harry?"

It was Draco, who looked mildly concerned at the harrowed expression on Harry's face. Harry stood up, blood rushing to his head as he almost stumbled over his chair. Draco shot forward, catching Harry before he could hit the ground. Harry blushed in embarrassment and laughed it off, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

"Draco! How are you?" Harry asked in a rush. He suddenly realized how close they were before taking a quick step back. Right into his chair. He fell into the loveseat, pulling Draco on top of him. Any chance of Harry's blush dissipating disappeared right there as he mentally wondered if he could die from embarrassment.

Draco gave him a long look before responding, "I was doing fine but I have to say that I'm doing much better now." He looked towards the volcano, trying to settle himself in the chair before frowning. "Potter, what is wrong with this chair?"

Harry flustered at both having Draco in his lap and at the question. "Oh, —er. Well, it used to be a rock?"

Draco only snorted in reply. "I can believe that."

Wanting to change the subject, Harry asked, "How has your day been?"

"The cooking class was a lot of fun, surprisingly. I actually brought back the dish with me. I was thinking we could have a picnic on the hike."

He held up the bag in his hand, one that only now Harry was noticing. "What are you doing here so early, anyway? We still have another half-hour until we're supposed to meet."

Harry sent a shaky smile. "I could ask the same of you."

Now it was Draco's turn to look flustered. "Well, I was a bit nervous so I thought I would wait here until you arrived to prepare myself."

Harry's eyes softened. "Same here."

They both shared a small smile before Draco gestured to the path in front of them.

"Shall we?"

* * *

They had been hiking for about an hour and Harry was having a great time so far. Conversation flowed easily between the two boys as they made their way up the volcano. They were about halfway to the top when Draco stopped them to tie his shoe. Harry was waiting patiently when he noticed a flash of red out of the corner of his eye.

Turning to look, Harry started walking over to where he saw it. There, a few feet off the trail, was one of the most beautiful plants Harry had ever seen. The outer tips of the flower were a fiery red, with a white gradient flowing to in the middle. There were spots of yellow across the plant, standing out like stars in the night sky. Harry went to go stroke the plant, wondering if the petals were as soft as they looked. Before his fingers could make contact, a strong arm pulled his hand back at the last moment.

"What do you think you're doing?" Draco exclaimed loudly, a look of deep worry on his face.

He gripped Harry's shoulder, shaking him slightly. "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Draco asked urgently.

Then he coughed, "I mean, did you touch the plant?"

Harry looked at him in confusion before shaking his head. "No, you pulled back my hand in time."

Draco let out a breath of relief. "Thank Merlin. That's the plant McGonagall warned us about earlier this week. The 'kick to the balls' one, remember?"

Harry didn't want to admit that he had been too busy ogling Draco to any pay attention so he just shook his head again. Draco rolled his eyes and let out a huff of frustration.

"Honestly, Potter, I wish I could be mad at you but I'm more just relieved."

Draco took Harry's hand in his own and helped him stand up from his crouched position. Draco didn't let go right away when they were upright, instead rubbing his thumb across the back of Harry's hand. Harry pinked a bit at the motion but he didn't try and pull away.

"C'mon," Draco said, still not letting go of his hand. "We're halfway there and I want to catch the sunset."

They never stopped holding hands the rest of the way up, and never once did Draco comment how sweaty Harry's hands got, which he was thankful for. Reaching the summit of the volcano, Harry let out a gasp.

The view really was beautiful. The sun was halfway set and the beautiful pinks and oranges of the sky bled into the sea.

"Wow. It really is beautiful from up here." Harry murmured.

"Yeah," Draco whispered.

Harry turned to look at him and he noticed that Draco wasn't even looking at the sunset at all. His silver eyes were focussed solely on Harry and Harry, for once, didn't mind the attention. Harry's stomach then let out a loud rumble, interrupting the eye contact between the two boys.

"Well," Draco said, "good thing I brought food. Let's sit, shall we?"

Draco conjured up a thick blanket while Harry transfigured some rocks into cushions. The two boys sat down and Draco pulled out the food he made in the cooking class earlier that day. Harry's mouth watered at the sight of it.

"It smells delicious," Harry enthused. "What is it?"

"It's a pineapple chicken dish.," Draco explained. He looked proud of the dish, though, and Harry couldn't wait to eat it.

It turned out the food was delicious as it looked and Harry couldn't get enough of it. After finishing their plates, Harry and Draco took a moment to watch the rest of the sunset turn to night. Harry took the initiative to grab Draco's hand as they watched the stars come out one by one.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello all! So, it turns out I'm not dead, even though it might've seemed like it. Sorry for such a long wait. College has started up again so I've been very busy with schoolwork. So of course I'm writing this during finals week. Makes perfect sense, right? This story has also given me a lot of writer's block, which is tight. Hopefully I'll get more inspiration soon.

I was originally going to have Harry touch the plant, leading to a plethora of shenanigans, but I instead decided to make it its own one-shot. It's on my profile under the name "In All Honesty," so go check it out if you're interested :)

Thank you once again to Gammily for being my lovely beta. She's the reason this chapter actually has any length to it, so thank you so much to her. If you're looking for a Harry/Hermione story check out her fic "Fading Illusions." And don't forget to leave a like and review if you enjoyed!


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